REWARD OFFERED IN DRUG WAR

The Montgomery Police Department wants help in battling drug trafficking in
the city.

Starting Monday, Mayor Bobby Bright has authorized the city to offer a
standing $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction
of any major drug dealer in Montgomery.

"If you look at a large majority of the murders, assaults, thefts and other
crimes like that, you find that the underlying cause is going to be
drug-related," said Lt. Huey Thornton, spokesman for the Montgomery Police
Department.

Along with offering the monetary award, the department requests active
involvement from interested participants, who will serve with undercover
narcotics detectives.

Still, Thornton said participating in a drug deal is a last resort and that
informants already have safely aided the department.

"Any time we deal with informants, it's a controlled situation," he said.

He also added that if a participant becomes uncomfortable, he or she is
always free to choose not to participate.

In Montgomery last year, the Police Department dealt with hundreds of drug
cases.

The department recorded totals of 131 reports of felony distribution of
controlled substances, 216 reports of felony possession, and 267 reports of
misdemeanor possession.

The most abundantly used controlled substance, according to the
department's annual report, is marijuana, followed by crack cocaine.

Anyone interested in taking part in the program should contact the
department's Narcotics Bureau at 241-4700.

The department's detective division commander will determine if a case is
large enough to merit the presentation of a reward.